Ever since silica-based optical fibers have been used for high-power lasers and amplifiers, there have been ongoing efforts to increase the power of the signal that is transmitted through the fibers. One limitation of high-power transmission is the onset of dielectric breakdown in the bulk glass, where the threshold for dielectric breakdown is a function of both the pulse duration and the pulse energy. Thus, as the intensity of the pulse increases, the likelihood of dielectric breakdown increases correspondingly. Given this problem, there exists a need in the industry for an approach to transmitting high-power signals while avoiding dielectric breakdown of the bulk glass.